Act First, Think Later
by XxAngelWithWingsxX
Summary: She had walked out of his life. Six years ago. But what happens when she comes stumbling back in, with a ring on her finger? Jace knows its wrong, but he needs to get her back. Swearing J/C
1. Chapter 1

**This just sorta...came to me. Like all my other oneshots. **

**But this is my first Mortal Instruments fanfic, so go easy on me. =]**

**Jace, Clary, Simon and Isabelle are…about 23. ;) And Alec is of course 25 I believe.**

**Disclaimer: Everything aside from the plot belongs to Cassandra Clare**

* * *

**Jace POV**

Pandemonium.

_The only name that was really fitting for the crackpot building,_ Jace thought.

He, of course, loved going there for the high of a fight which was bound to happen when a shadowhunter walked in through the door.

But he also seemed to go there for the small glimmer of hope he had. Hope that he would see a flash of red hair, or bright green eyes looking back at him for the first time in 6 years.

6 years.

That's how long it had been from the incident which sent him and the love of his life in different directions.

He was lost for a while, thinking back to the day where he made the biggest mistake of his life.

* * *

_Jace had just come back from a particularly vicious fight, and had wandered down to the werewolf pub to order a couple drinks. But his thoughts were really jumbled up, not only about the fight in which he nearly died, but the anniversary of his dad's death, and a couple drinks slowly became a dozen. And then everything went black._

_Jace woke up, a massive hangover threatening to erupt. A shiver ran down his body, and he looked to see that he was lying in an alleyway, wearing only his shirt which he vaguely remembered putting on before the fight._

_But he was not alone._

_On one side of him was a Clary, sobbing gently, and a little further off was a completely naked girl, curled up on her side._

_Oh no._

_Finally understanding what had happened, he began to stand up, when Clary slapped him hard on the cheek, and ran off, her cries growing louder._

_Still remembering the sting on his cheek, he never drank again._

* * *

Jace scowled as he went inside through the dance floor of packed bodies and headed towards the bar.

"Sup, Anthony," he nodded in greeting to the bartender, who smirked and handed Jace the usual glass of coke.

Jace accepted and turned back to the dance floor, staring into its depths, searching for the familiar hunters that were weaving through the humans looking for prey.

That's when a certain young man caught his eye. He had the strangest attire of black, and his hair was a bright shade of purple.

And his eyes were a canary yellow.

Jace drained the glass and put it on the counter, starting after the guy.

The demon had a hand on the shoulder of a girl with long black hair, and she was leading them to the usual small closet at the back of the club.

Jace followed in after them, putting up glamour strong enough to hide an entire city.

_Angel blood,_ Jace thought and smirked.

He walked into the closet after them.

The purple haired demon was kissing the girl's neck slowly as Jace approached them, and he spun the girl away from the closet, and out the door.

Just as he was about to lunge for the demon, another girl burst into the closet.

With fiery red hair.

Jace was distracted for a minute, long enough for the girl to yell, "Jace!" and for the demon to attack him in his moment of distraction.

He turned back around to see that the demon had lunged at him with elongated nails and a greedy expression.

He dodged quickly and took out two seraph blades, whispering, _Jersel_ to the first one, and _Zafier_ to the other.

He waited for the demon to lunge at him again, and this time he stayed where he was, but when the demon was a foot away from him, he held both blades in front of his stomach, pointed outward so when the demon did collide with him, the blades sunk into the demon's chest.

The demon looked at him in horror and then fell to the ground before turning to ash.

"Little trick I learned," he muttered, and then looked up at the girl.

Clary.

She was staring at him with a mixture of wonder, horror and annoyance on her face. Not something that Jace found rather encouraging. She was wearing a tight green strapless dress which, Jace thought, complimented her curves _perfectly._

He shot her a glare to match her stare, at which she 'hmphed!' and walked away.

Slowly he walked out of the closet, realization hitting him in the face.

That was his Clary.

He strode out of the closet, his eyes searching for the green dress, but he found nothing on the dance floor.

Frustrated, he walked over to the bar and sat down. He felt conflicted inside; he had seen Clary, but then it seemed like he had just lost her again.

He heard a shattering sound next to him and turned to see Clary a couple seats away with a broken glass on the table. There were little cups surrounding her; she had taken shots.

His eyes widened and he got up to go say something to her- anything, when she stumbled out of the chair and headed toward the DJ.

_God damn, she's drunk, _Jace thought as he took in her wobbly walk and swaying hips.

She whispered something to the DJ, and he smiled at her, changing the song.

And that's when the sky fell down.

As the song started, its rapid beats filling the room with vibrations, Clary managed to stagger her way to the dance floor, and began to dance.

She twirled her hips around to the music, and twirled her head around, sending her nest of fire spinning in circles. After a little bit of that, she grabbed the hands of a guy near her and began grinding her hips against his.

All Jace could do was watch.

_What the fuck?_ Jace thought. The Clary he knew would never get drunk like that, much less dance with random strangers.

But a lot could change in six years.

Jace watched Clary dancing and grinding with the asshole, until he tried to pull her into the closet, which was always available for the people in need.

And she complied.

Jace shot out of his seat and nearly ran to Clary, pushing many dancers out of the way.

Just as the two of them turned away, Jace grabbed Clary's elbow, and tugged her around to face him.

Her eyes blinked in confusion, and the fucker's narrowed in anger.

"What the hell man, she's mine," he said.

At the words _she's mine, _Jace nearly lost it. He drew back a fist, and was about to punch the daylights out of the guy, when suddenly he recognized the brown eyes and black ragged hair.

Simon.

Apparently the vamp recognized him at the same time when he whispered, "Jace?"

"How's it going bloodsucker,"

"What are you doing here?" he asked; shock still plain on his features.

"I should be the one asking that. This is still my city. You guys left it six years ago for the San Francisco Institute six years ago," I said accusingly.

Something flashed behind Simon's eyes.

"Should I bring up what you did again? And what happened to Clary because of it?" he hissed through his teeth.

This nearly broke Jace down.

"It was a mistake, I was wrong, and I was drunk," Jace muttered, "And I still can't remember doing it,"

"Right, right," Simon said.

"Well what about you dragging Clary into a closet just now, huh?" Jace said, remembering why he was here in the first place.

Simon stepped forward so he was in Jace's face before saying, "I can do what I want with my fiancée,"

Jace felt like he had been slapped. He stared from Simon to Clary, who was still a little too drunk to notice anything aside from the lights on the ceiling.

"Fi-_fiancée?" _

Simon nodded.

Jace stood there for a few seconds, before he composed himself and said, "Many congratulations. And may I ask that you save the private stuff for later?"

Simon nodded, and he walked away with Clary, leaning against his shoulder.

Jace stared after the two of them, his heart and mind burning with the sense of loss he had only once felt before, when Clary said she was leaving. But now, she had not only left him, but she belonged to someone else.

And that someone else was Simon.

Simon. The one who Clary had tried to date once.

Simon. The boy who Clary had rejected for Jace.

Simon, the guy who was her best friend.

But that all had changed now hadn't it?

Jace sauntered off back towards the bar, thinking, _maybe I'll have drink now, _

He was just about to order one when he smelled the stench of ichor and demon blood.

Jace sprang back around, and looked to see where the smell had come from.

Simon.

He was still holding Clary with one hand, who looked like she had passed out. In his other hand, he was holding a mid-length sword. Advancing on him were two Oni demons and a shapeshifter.

He was swinging the sword around the unsuspecting humans gracefully, but he was losing without the use of both arms, and the fact he couldn't let Clary go.

With a burst of energy, Jace sprang towards them, his overpowering urge to protect Clary taking over. He threw up a glamour around himself before whipping out his seraph blades and plunging them into the Oni demon. They vanished with a poof, and he turned to see Simon still fighting the shapeshifter.

Before Jace could come help though, the shapeshifter slashed Simon twice in the side, and it took all of Simon's strength not the drop Clary.

Jace lunged at the shapeshifter, but it turned around at the right time, a smirk on its lips.

They fought, skirting around the humans, dodging blows with ease, but in the end, Jace's anger gave him a big edge.

He dodged one of the demon's attacks, spun around to the back of it, and drove a seraph blade into the demon's back, where his….father had taught him.

The demon crumpled to the ground, before vanishing, leaving a small green stain on the floor.

Breathing heavily, Jace turned to Simon who was sagging with the weight of Clary and the wounds. He gently took Clary from him, and when they touched, he felt a little tingle in his palm.

_Touching her is just going to make it worse, _Jace thought, but he didn't let go.

Whipping out his cell phone, he dialed Isabelle's number, and told her what happened quickly, and that Simon needed Magnus.

She said she would be there in 10, but was here in 6.

"Oh, god, Simon…" she said when she saw him. The gashed were oozing blood and ichor, but Jace thought she wasn't just looking at the gashes. She studied Simon's face closely, and her eyes softened.

She grabbed a hold of one of his arms and took him out of the club, while Jace carried Clary.

Outside, a van was worked, with a gurney and Magnus waiting in the back. Iz sat in the back with Magnus, who had already begun to heal Simon.

"I haven't seen this handsome face in a while…" he muttered.

Jace climbed into the front seat next to Alec who was driving, and arranged Clary so she was sitting on his lap with her head resting on his shoulder.

Alec began driving, but not before looking curiously at Jace and Clary.

"She's passed out drunk," Jace muttered, looking down at the red curls.

Alec just shook his head.

* * *

They arrived at the Magnus's house, where he had agreed to keep Simon hospitalized until he was completely healed.

They dropped him off, Isabelle looking slightly disappointed.

"Drop us off at my house?" Jace said to Alec.

They both turned around stunned.

"Your house? She can stay at the Institute," Isabelle said, her eyebrows knitting together.

Jace took a deep breath.

"I would rather have her in my sight," he said through gritted teeth. When Clary had left, he had gotten himself a house, unable to stay at the Institute for a moment longer.

"Jace, don't be stupid. I can see the ring on her finger," Alec said, "Don't hurt yourself even more,"

"I know what I'm doing Alec," Jace hissed, his arms tightening slightly around Clary.

Deep breaths.

Alec and Isabelle looked at each other, before Alec said, "Whatever, dude. It's your life,"

Jace nodded to them and got in the car again.

Alec dutifully dropped him off, without saying a word to him the entire ride.

As Jace carried Clary up the steps to his house, he turned to look back at Alec who was pointedly looking away from him, but not driving off until Jace was inside the house.

Jace opened the door with one hand and stepped inside.

He took her straight to his room, not thinking about what that meant.

He laid Clary down on the white sheets, her dress ruffled and her hair a bird's nest.

And he couldn't look away.

His eyes returned to the dress, and he stood there for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should remove it and give her more comfortable clothes to sleep in.

He decided he should.

_It's nothing I haven't seen before, _Jace thought, smirking, as he took off the dress, but not looking too closely at what was underneath.

Once she was covered in his shirt and pajama bottoms, Jace changed himself before heading for the living room coach.

He stopped in front of it, the loveseat barely large enough for his legs to fit. And he moved a lot when he slept, so he was bound to fall off as well.

But he didn't dare go back in that room. For whatever it was worth, he still had his morals and sleeping on a bed with a married woman who he still loved was not a very good idea. So he settled on the coach and tried his best to sleep comfortably.

* * *

**Okay, change in plans. No longer a one shot, it's now two maybe three chapters long. I'll post the second as soon as I can ^^**

**Review?**

**~A.W.W**


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy this chapter is late.**

**But it's here and the story is finsihed (finally) so now you don't have to threaten me with knives! Woo! Hehe yeah...**

**Go read my other stories if you have time, especially Set in Stone which is an MI fanfic.**

**Anyways enjoy, I would suggest reading over the last chapter because I myself could barely remember the story.**

**happy reading!**

* * *

Jace awoke to someone screaming and kicking at his side.

"Wake up, you asshole!"

Jace groggily got up and looked around the room, filled with sunlight, and then to Clary who was standing right in front of him. Her face was as red as her hair in her anger.

"Can you PLEASE explain to me why I woke up in YOUR house on YOUR bed wearing YOUR clothes?" Clary's eyes were wild and she looked frantic along with angry.

Jace chuckled lowly to himself then looked up to Clary's face, pushing himself out of the old couch. He got up and then looked directly into Clary's eyes. She backed away automatically.

"You were great last night," he implied.

The color immediately drained from Clary's face, and her eyes widened in shock.

"Wh-what?" she stammered.

Jace stared at her face for a while longer until he suddenly burst out laughing.

"Come on Clary! You had to see that coming! That joke's a classic!" Jace mumbled out between fits of laughter.

Angry face was back.

Clary kicked him again, and then made a move to leave the house.

Jace jumped off the couch and grabbed Clary's wrist. He felt a small thrill at the contact, but Clary refused to turn around.

"Hey, it was a joke," he whispered. His fingers were burning where they met Clary's.

Clary sighed. "I know. But can you please tell me what happened now?"

"Well, to put it in a nutshell, a demon attacked Simon, he got hurt, and I got you to take care of," Jace explained.

"What!" Clary spun around, "Is Simon all right?"

Jace took in her concerned face while keeping his own blank.

"Yeah, your bloodsucking fiancé is fine," he said flatly. He put on his I-don't-care face and tried to hide what was really going on in his mind and heart.

Clary looked at him, her face looking half sorry and half ashamed.

"Oh, you found out did you," she said, looking down.

Jace remained silent.

"When's the wedding?" Jace asked his voice flat and unrevealing.

Clary looked up into his face for a second, and then looked back down to where Jace was still holding her wrist.

"In three months."

_So soon._

"Oh. Why are you here?" he replied.

"Our Institute head sent us to help here for a while because of the sudden demon overpopulation." Clary had almost a sheepish look on her face.

"Well we don't need you or your bloodsucker's help. We're doing fine," Jace said, his tone filled with annoyance.

"Well, Jace, sometimes you DO need help. You're not perfect! In fact you're far from perfect!" Clary's voice suddenly had risen to a near yell.

Her words triggered something in him.

"Oh, so that's why you left, was it? Because I'm imperfect?" Jace sneered.

"No! You know exactly why I left!" Clary cried, looking at him with an accusing stare.

Jace stopped short.

"I was drunk. I don't remember anything from that night at all," Jace said his voice low.

"Really now,"

"Yes! And I haven't drunk a drop of alcohol since! You have absolutely no idea Clary how sorry I am. No idea. I've laid awake thinking about how I wish I could just….take back a couple of those drinks, start over. You have no idea!"

Clary looked down again, so Jace continued.

"You are my life Clary. My life. And I wake up every morning just hoping that you'll be next to me, that maybe the past six years have just been a nightmare. I can't concentrate on anything because you are always living in my mind. I can't even look at myself without seeing you in the mirror next to me! Don't you _get_ it Clary? I love you, always have and always will,"

Clary's head was still down, but Jace saw a small teardrop roll down her cheek.

"I'm happy with Simon now," she mumbled, but the words sounded fake, even to her.

Jace studied her face for a second before asking, "Do you really love him,"

She looked up and answered automatically, "Yes, of course,"

Jace stepped closer, "So would gladly leave right now to go see him?"

Clary's face contorted in anger. "What are you trying to PROVE Jace? I know what we had before but now we just don't! Just let me be. It's been over for a long time,"

Jace abruptly dropped her hands.

"Fine then. Go back to your blood-sucking fiancée," his voice abruptly took on a calm tone, "Just answer one more question before you leave. Do you still love me?"

Clary said nothing.

"Fine then. Have a good life Clarissa."

Jace turned around, and began walking back towards his room.

Suddenly, Clary ran towards him and threw her arms around him.

"Yes, alright? Yes! I do love you! I was being stupid. I was impulsive and I didn't even bother to talk to you. And now I feel terrible because I _knew _this relationship I had with Simon was a lie! But who else did I have Jace? You were my life, and I ran away from you."

Jace squeezed his eyes shut as her arms tightened around him.

"I'm sorry I left without thinking, but I love you Jace. And I can't let you forget that."

Jace spun around and grabbed Clary's face between his palms.

"Apology accepted?" he said with a smirk, before he kissed her.

The kiss was like 6 years' worth of kisses packed into one. Clary's hand tangled in Jace's hair and they were lost in each other's embrace until someone coughed in the background.

They broke apart to see that Simon had joined them. He had a bandage wrapped around his head and his clothes were blood-splattered from last night.

Clary gasped when she saw him, but he looked far from angry. Slightly annoyed, yes, but not mad. He took in Jace and Clary wrapped around each other, their lips inches apart from where they were connected.

"Alec told me where Clary was. I expected something to be up," he said blankly. They stared at each other's face for a long time, Clary's ashamed and red, Jace's blank, and Simon's sad.

"I should have realized what would eventually happen if we came back to New York. Clary, I knew from the beginning that you could never love me a fraction as much as Jace, but I was being my stupid selfish self and claimed you mine." He took of the engagement ring from his finger and put it in his pocket.

"Take care of her man," he said, then left out the door as fast as he had come.

Jace and Clary stared after him.

"That was rather unexpected." Jace said.

Clary nodded.

"Does that mean you're free?"

She nodded again.

Jace dropped to one knee and took her hand.

"Clary, I have made my mistakes and I have lost you one too many times, and I don't want you away from my side again. I promise by the Angel's blood that runs in our veins that I will take care of for as long as you and I are alive. Hell, even after that. Clarissa Fray, will you marry me?"

Clary's eyes glazed over with tears and he laughed quietly before whispering yes.

"I love you Clary. More than anything," Jace whispered before he kissed her again.

* * *

**Alright, the ending is a little weird but it will have to do. Too much drama maybe?**

**Idk.**

**Anyways, I'll use this time to explain what the heck is going on with my Fanfiction shcedule.**

**Twilight Wings, and The Love f Fighting and Fighters are on the verge of being finished. Sometime this month hopefully. Fang: STWAOES is incomplete, but that will take longer than the other two. Set in Stone I have begun, but I don't think I will be COMPLETELY starting that until the two main ones are finished. maybe a chapter here and there. Pick Your Poison is another that will not be started until the main ones I'm doing right now are finished. I have yet another idea for a story, but that will come much later. Its an incest sorta thing with Jake/Nessie. PM me if you wanna hear about it.**

**Another little note: I want to thank everyone beforehand who will read this for sticking with me because I am HIGHLY unpredictable when it comes to updating or fanfiction in general. One day I'll be amazing, then the next you'll have the urge to kill me because of my suckish writing. Idk how my little brain works. Not many people have been able to figure it out.-sigh-**

**I could easily get into a long rant about my issues.**

**...Thats all.**

**What did you think?**

**Review!**

**With love,**

**~A.W.W**


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